


Hunter Prey

by firefly63



Category: Forever Knight
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, Gen, PWP without Porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2017-12-31 22:01:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1036866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firefly63/pseuds/firefly63
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>LaCroix calls on Natalie when Nick is in trouble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hunter Prey

Her phone started ringing just as she turned the key in the lock. She hurried to get the door open and rushed to the pass-thru counter into the kitchen.

Plopping her grocery sack down, she reached for the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, Dr. Lambert."

Her eyes widened. "LaCroix? Why are you--? Nick! Is he all right?"

"Well, your response tells me he is not with you."

"No. I just got home." She gripped the receiver tighter, worry beginning to gnaw at her gut. She'd had exactly two maybe three interactions with Nick's "father" in the years she'd known him. She'd like to keep it that way, but a phone call from LaCroix out of the blue didn't bode well.

"Then to answer your question, doctor, I do not think so."

"What?" Natalie was momentarily confused. "You don't think Nick is all right?"

An annoyed growl from the other end had her taking a deep breath, forcing herself to concentrate on what it was LaCroix _wasn't_ saying. She glanced at the window. Bright sunshine was streaming through the curtains. Oh God.

"Sorry. Long night. So something is wrong with Nick and since it's broad daylight you'd like me to go check on him."

"Essentially," LaCroix admitted, still sounding annoyed. When he continued though, there was a touch of worry and possibly actual concern for her. "However, you must be very careful--Natalie. If you truly value your mortal life."

She swallowed. "You think he might…?"

There was a long pause and Natalie began to wonder if he would say anything more. Finally, very quietly, "All I know for sure, doctor, is that he is incoherent with pain, and pain of that magnitude negates all reason."

Natalie swallowed again, taking a deep shaky breath.

"Come by the club first," LaCroix ordered briskly. "He will need something more than that bovine swill."

Her spine stiffened. "Is--"

"Yes, doctor, it is," LaCroix interrupted curtly. "Only something more--substantial--will heal him quickly. It is also a matter of--aroma. Given the choice between you or cold, lifeless animal blood, which do _you_ think he is most likely to go after?"

"When you put it like that, I see your point," she agreed reluctantly.

"I thought you might," LaCroix said. "Even with the best I can provide you, it will be less appetizing than your fresh, warm source, so you will still need to take care, doctor."

"I…I understand."

"Good. Now, I suggest you get here sooner rather than later," LaCroix answered. "And doctor, it probably would not be wise to involve Detective Schanke."

"Right, no Schanke," she said as the phone clicked off in her ear. 

888888

Fifteen minutes later, Natalie pulled up in front of The Raven. She turned the car off and took a deep, unsteady breath, trying to settle her nerves. When she got to the door it was no surprise that it was unlocked.

As usual it was dim inside, the slash of sunlight from the closing door a startling contrast. Cautiously, she made her way down the steps and across the wide expanse of floor. LaCroix, head down, was waiting behind the bar. There was a square box setting on the bar in front of him. He didn't lift his head until she stopped directly across from him. Then she gasped and very nearly took a step back. Sheer will kept her in place as she met his golden-eyed stare.

"Nicholas is fading." LaCroix's voice was gruff. 

He held up a small, cylindrical black velvet bag with a gold cord cinching the top closed. It looked to contain a pint-sized bottle.

"Give him this first, then one of these," LaCroix told her, tucking the concealed bottle into the box with the four wine bottles and securing the lid. "Do not let sunlight reach it."

She stared at the bag as it disappeared into the box, realizing what it must contain. She nodded, trying to appear calm. She licked her lips. 

"Maybe…maybe you should come with me. My…my trunk isn't as large as Nick's but it's empty and relatively clean."

He stared at her, through her, his predatory golden eyes studying her every twitch. She breathed very shallowly, holding herself very still. Finally, LaCroix closed his eyes, turning his face away. When they re-opened, they had returned to their crystal blue. Natalie didn't make the mistake of thinking she was out of danger.

"Thank you, doctor. I will accept your generous offer, although I will ride in the back seat, not the indignity of the trunk."

"Okay. I'll just take this out and wait for you."

888888

The garage door to Nick's warehouse was wide open, the Caddie parked inside. Nick never left the door open in the daytime. If the door was open, that meant the security system wasn't armed. If the security system wasn't armed, Nick was vulnerable.

"There is no one in the area," LaCroix commented from beneath the blanket in her backseat.

She let out a shaky breath of relief and pulled her car up beside the open door. It worried her, but if LaCroix said no one was around, she figured she could trust that. Parking and getting out, she opened the back door on her way to the trunk. 

LaCroix was waiting for her in the shadows by the time she'd retrieved the box. Wisps of smoke were still rising from his shoulders. She barely acknowledged him, quickly moving toward the service elevator. The car was on the third floor. Not wanting to wait for it to descend, she hurried to the stairs. LaCroix was a foreboding presence behind her.

On first glance, the place looked empty and untouched. Cautiously, she descended the two steps onto the main floor.

"Nick?" she called, walking to the kitchen table and setting down the box. That's when she saw him—and the two bodies. 

He was sprawled on the floor not far from the refrigerator. 

"Nick!" She rushed to him, skirting around one of the bodies and avoiding the blood pooling next to it. The other bloody body was a couple of feet beyond Nick.

She dropped to her knees beside him, surveying the two bloody stakes protruding from his chest. 

"Doctor?"

It was a moment before she realized LaCroix hadn't entered the loft. "What?" she looked up at him in confusion.

He raised a sardonic brow. "The blinds, doctor, if you please?"

She looked around and realized the blinds were up and sunlight was pouring into the loft. In fact a ray of sunshine was even now encroaching on Nick's legs. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed the remote from the sofa table. Punching several buttons, she waited a moment. The blinds silently began to descend. She tossed the remote back to the table as daylight was gradually shut out, and returned to Nick.

"Thank you doctor," LaCroix said, coming to stand next to her as she examined Nick.

She looked up at him, teary-eyed. "Is he?"

"Still here, doctor, as yet."

She swallowed and closed her eyes in relief. "Um," she cleared her throat. "One of the stakes is dangerously close to his heart. It might even have nicked it. The other probably missed the heart by an inch or so."

"They must come out," LaCroix said.

Natalie nodded. "I know, but does it matter which one first? Can the heart withstand any kind of damage?"

"If he is strong enough."

"Define strong enough?" Natalie demanded.

LaCroix arched an eyebrow, a hint of a sardonic smile on his mouth. "If he has fed well-- or if his sire helps."

Natalie took a deep breath. "Okay."

LaCroix retrieved the box from the table and set it on the floor next to her as he knelt beside her. Without preamble he reached for the stake imbedded just below Nick's left collarbone and yanked it free, hissing as the wood burned his hands. He tossed the stake aside and reached for the one lodged between Nick's ribs. Natalie could actually hear it scrape against the bones as it came free. LaCroix dropped the stake and brought his wrist to his mouth, casually tearing open the vein with his fangs. Natalie watched the process with horrified fascination. He placed the bleeding wound directly against Nick's lips.

They waited. LaCroix patiently, Natalie less so. She had assumed Nick's "recovery" would be nearly instant, especially with an influx of his maker's blood, but it wasn't. A minute went by, then two, then three. 

Just as Natalie was beginning to think LaCroix had been wrong, Nick's eyes snapped open. His hand clamped on LaCroix's wrist, sucked strongly for a moment, then shoved it away, his golden eyes fastened on Natalie.

"Nick," she breathed.

"Quiet, doctor," LaCroix commanded, pinning Nick to the floor. "He only sees you as a food source right now." LaCroix moved to block Nick's line of sight, capturing his gaze. "Nicholas, she is off limits."

"She smells sweet. I want her," Nick rumbled, his fangs putting a slur to his words.

"I know, my son, but she is of more use to us alive," LaCroix ordered. "Doctor, please hand me one of those bottles," he directed, not taking his eyes off Nick. Nick made an attempt to break free, but it was feeble at best. He quickly subsided.

With shaking hands, Natalie quietly withdrew one of the bottles. She pulled the cork and handed it to LaCroix.

LaCroix wordlessly accepted the bottle. "Drink Nicholas, this will help." LaCroix gripped the back of Nick's neck with one hand to hold his head up, and held the bottle to his lips. Nick's nostrils flared as the scent reached him. He drank greedily, if reluctantly, his eyes still locked by LaCroix's. 

Natalie watched in silence. She figured there was probably a bit of compulsion going on, and for once, she wasn't going to argue about it. Without needing to be asked, she was ready with another bottle as soon as the first one was drained. LaCroix accepted it with a slight nod.

Nick finished off this one just as quickly. And a third. By the fourth Nick was sitting up on his own drinking unaided and more slowly. LaCroix had released him but remained near. When the bottle was empty, Nick set it on the floor, and drew up his knees. He wrapped his arms around them and bowed his head.

LaCroix studied him for a moment, then silently pulled out the remaining bottle, the one in the black velvet bag, unwrapped it, and held it out to Nick. Nick glanced up at his sire, and accepted the bottle. Wordlessly he pulled the stopper and upended the contents down his throat. Afterwards he sat with head down for several more minutes.

"Nick?" Natalie ventured softly, unable to take the silence any longer. 

Slowly, he raised his head and met her worried gaze, his eyes back to their normal blue. He gave her a weary smile. "Hi Nat." He looked up at LaCroix and raised a hand. LaCroix took it and helped him to his feet. Gingerly, Nick made his way to the sofa, ignoring the two dead bodies on his kitchen floor.

Natalie took that to mean it was safe to move closer. She sat next to Nick on the sofa. Without asking she ripped open his shirt so she could see his chest. It was only as he twitched and went dead still under her touch that she realized what she'd done. 

She raised her eyes. His face was turned away from her, jaw clenched and eyes closed. Slowly she drew back her hands. He acted so human most of the time that she sometimes treated him too much like one. She would often get in his personal space or casually touch him without giving much thought to the fact that he was always fighting his predator's response. 

He turned his face back. She flashed him an apologetic smile. The corners of his mouth twitched up fondly. Obligingly he shifted so she could visually examine him.

The wounds were healing rapidly now. Probably within the hour the divots would be gone. But her inspection also revealed three other small divots.

"What are these?" she demanded, indicating the three marks.

Nick looked down at himself. "Bullet wounds."

"When were you shot?"

He glanced at the closed blinds. "This morning."

Natalie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them, she said, "Okay, start at the beginning. What happened? Who _were_ those guys? And how did they manage to hurt you?"

Nick's gaze travelled to LaCroix who was studying the bodies disdainfully. Natalie had already looked them over, albeit from a distance, while they were waiting for Nick to recover. One had been staked; the other's throat had been ripped out. She should be horrified that two people were dead at the hands of her friend the _vampire_ , but she wasn't. Especially since they'd probably been trying to kill said vampire at the time. She noticed LaCroix was being careful not to touch the bodies.

"They were Hunters," LaCroix said with suppressed fury.

Nick nodded. "I thought so."

"Hunters? As in Van Helsing-type hunters?" Natalie asked.

LaCroix growled in disgust. "Van Helsing is fiction."

"But, yes, vampire hunters," Nick added.

Natalie shuddered. "So, how'd they know about you? How'd they get you?"

"They must have been waiting for me. I smelled garlic as I got out of the car and thought Schanke had stopped by with his Souvlaki or something before heading home. Then I felt the first shot. By the third I was on the ground. They'd laced their bullets with the noxious stuff.

"They dragged me into the elevator and brought me up here. I knew what they were, knew what they intended to do. I was nearly incapacitated from the garlic, but I managed to throw them off long enough to get to my feet. That's when I got the first stake, but his aim was off. I tossed him aside to deal with his partner, who was coming at me with another stake. I turned it on him. And as I did, his partner drove a stake between my ribs. I felt it slice my heart. I went for his throat, but his blood reeked of garlic and I couldn't feed. I lost it then, and simply ripped it out. I tried getting to the fridge, but my strength failed.

"The rest I think you know. I woke up with LaCroix's blood on my lips and your scent in my nose, ravenous."

"And how did they know you're a vampire?" she asked, ignoring the bit about her scent.

"Any of a number of ways," LaCroix spoke, coming over to stand behind Nick. "I'd not heard there were Hunters in the area until now. But if they are here it is because someone in the Community has drawn their attention."

Natalie stared up at him. "You don't think it was Nick?"

"No, doctor, I do not. As much as I abhor Nicholas's fondness for associating with Humans, and he tends to attract unwanted attention at times, the Hunters are usually drawn to unusual or unexplained murders. I think it is more probable that they were tipped off, either intentionally or unintentionally, and they put Nicholas under surveillance."

"Wouldn't you have known?" Natalie asked Nick.

"I did sense something now and then, but I could never pinpoint it."

"And you didn't say anything to me?" LaCroix inquired.

Nick gave him a chagrined smile. "I was going to talk to you about it tonight, actually."

LaCroix inclined his head, scowling.

"Do you think there might be more in the area?" Natalie asked worriedly.

"Doubtful. They generally only travel singly or in pairs, sometimes threes."

"So we won't have to worry about any more of them showing up?"

"No," LaCroix answered decisively.

She suspected he would be putting the word out to the Community to beware of more Hunters. "Good. Now, how are we going to deal with the bodies?"

"Burn them," LaCroix said succinctly.

Natalie raised an eyebrow. "And how do you propose to do that?"

"You can leave that to me."

Natalie decided she really didn't want to know. "Okay, then."

"Nicholas and I can remove the—detritus, if you would be kind enough to remove the—rest? It is becoming rather--nauseating."

"I can do that," Natalie agreed.

Nick left the couch and went to a closet under the stairs. He returned with two of his paint-spattered drop cloths. Wordlessly the vampires rolled up the bodies and left the loft with the bundles via the lift. While they were gone she got busy on the pooled blood.

She had the bulk of the mess cleaned up before they returned. The soiled towels were stuffed in a plastic bag she'd found under Nick's sink. Bless Nick and his "keeping up appearances" routine because she found a bucket, scrub brush and detergent under there as well. She was just starting to scrub the stained concrete when they came back into the loft.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd fried in the sun," she quipped.

"Um, we were waiting until most of the odor had dissipated," Nick replied somewhat sheepishly.

He sounded tired. She glanced up, casting a critical eye over him. He looked tired and still a little ashen. "Speaking of odor, am I getting it all?"

"Yes, the traces of garlic are almost gone. Thank you," Nick assured her.

"Good," she said simply.

"LaCroix, you can take my bed, I'll use the couch," Nick offered quietly.

LaCroix studied Nick for a long moment. Natalie wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he seemed to be satisfied and finally nodded. "Very well, Nicholas." He looked at her coolly. "Dr. Lambert I—am once again in your debt, it seems."

Natalie carefully hid her amusement. She knew how much it must gall him to feel indebted to her once again. Instead, she answered sincerely, "Thank you for calling me." She went back to her clean up, not needing any kind of acknowledgement. "I should be finished in a few more minutes."

"Thanks, Nat," Nick said quietly, moving toward the sofa. She glanced up again, worriedly. LaCroix was nowhere in evidence. She'd seen Nick exhausted before, but this was different. He didn't seem to be bouncing back like he should.

"Nick?" she asked quietly.

He glanced back as he eased down on the sofa. He gave her a slight smile. "I'll be all right, Nat. Honest. It's the remnants of the garlic and the sun. After some sleep, I'll be good as new."

She accepted his reassurance, trusting that he would know. Ten minutes later she dropped the brush in the bucket and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Surveying the floor, she nodded, satisfied that the evidence was gone. She didn't even let it bother her that she was essentially covering up two murders. Climbing to her feet, she took the bucket into the bathroom and poured the dirty water down the toilet. She rinsed the brush and bucket and added them to the plastic bag. Once that was done, she turned around, hands on hips, debating what to do with it.

"I'll take care of it, Nat." Nick's voice floated up over the back of the sofa. Her lips twitched in amusement. How did he do that? She padded closer to the couch and looked down at him. Still wearing his tattered and bloodied shirt, he lay stretched out on his back, arms folded, hands on his chest, and eyes closed. They opened a moment later to gaze up at her.

"I'm okay," he reassured her again, "thanks to you and LaCroix."

She swallowed, not wanting to think about how close a call it had been. "I could stay—"

"No. That's not a good idea, Nat," he interrupted apologetically. "I couldn't sleep with you here, and even if I could, my control isn't that good right now."

She nodded in understanding, though disappointed. "Makes sense, I guess. If you're sure…"

"I'm sure, Natalie. With LaCroix here, I'll be fine. Thanks."

"Okay. But don't think you're getting out of the long discussion we're going to have about your choice in blood consumption back there," she warned.

A smile briefly touched his lips. "Okay."

"Okay, I'll talk to you tonight."

"Thanks, Nat," he said again. "I am grateful."

Quietly she gathered her things and let herself out. Downstairs she made sure the doors were shut and locked and that the security system was armed. She didn't want any more emergencies concerning a certain vampire for one day.

With one last look up at the third story windows, she climbed into her car and drove away. She'd worry later about what setbacks his most recent consumption of Human blood might have done to his quest for becoming Human. Nick was alive and that's all that mattered to her at the moment.

-fini-

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.


End file.
